THIS is Kate Meadows lying unconscious in hospital on her 24th birthday - battered by the man she thought loved her.

THIS is Kate Meadows lying unconscious in hospital on her 24th birthday - battered by the man she thought loved her.

Carl Martin attacked her while she slept, breaking her jaw in two places and splitting her palate.

Martin, 40, left her body black with bruises and turned her intoa shell of the woman she once was.

Ms Meadows spent almost a week in Fazakerley hospital, underwent surgery to repair her jaw and could not eat solid food for six weeks.

Now, as Martin faces a maximum sentence of around five years, she fears he will come back and kill her.

Ms Meadows said: "I hate him for what he has done to me. I've been told he will get five years at the most. But he deserves life. I know he will try to kill me - he has written me letters telling me he will.

"I will be looking over my shoulder for the rest of my life."

It was a friend who introduced Ms Meadows to Martin more than two years ago on June 13, 2002. They moved in together after six weeks and Ms Meadows, who was a barmaid at the Coronation pub in Bootle, said the relationship could not have been better.

"He was the perfect boyfriend," she said. "He was kind, considerate and gentle with me."

But in January 2004, Martin,a father-of-two from Bootle, started taking cocaine and his behaviour changed.

Ms Meadows said: "He becamea different person. I asked him to stop and gave him an ultimatum. But he threatened to attack me and told friends he would kill me."

On July 19, Ms Meadows was fast asleep in the flat the couple shared in Salisbury Court, Bootle, when Martin, who had been ata friend's party, burst into her room at 4am and started to beat her.

"I went numb. I did try to escape from him, running downstairs to get out, but he dragged me back and started kicking and punching me again."

The caretaker at the flats called the police. When they arrived, Ms Meadows was unconscious on the floor.

Martin was charged with wounding and GBH which could carry life imprisonment.

But after agreeing to plead guilty to the lesser offence of wounding, the other charge was dropped.

Martin has been remanded in custody by Liverpool crown court to await sentence in November.

Ms Meadows, who is now back at the family home with her mother Pauline and taxi driver stepfather Andy, said: "Whatever he gets now will not be justice and that is why I am speaking out."

Pauline, 44, said her daughter was initially reluctant to tell the police what happened.

"She was frightened. It was a difficult thing to do. But I encouraged her."

Ms Meadows is now urging other victims of domestic violence not to suffer in silence.

"These men should not be allowed to get away with it."

Help is at hand > > >>

>Help is at hand>

A MERSEYSIDE support agency for victims of domestic violence said it was important women like Ms Meadows spoke out.

Karen Gray, development manager for Sefton Women's and Children's Aid, said: "Women who have suffered horrific injuries in this way often find it very difficult to talk about it. But it is important for their own safety that they do come forward and seek help.

"Not everyone would be able to do what this lady has done, and she has been extremely brave, but I think her actions will help others in the same situation."

Ms Gray said people often stay in violent domestic situations

because of their belief that their partner doesn't mean it.

She said: "Many people want to believe their partner when they say they are sorry and it won't happen again. That is why they stay, and if there are children involved they also have them to consider. There are a whole range of issues to deal with. This

can make it an extremely difficult situation which requires a lot of courage to get out of."

Ms Gray said domestic violence needed to be taken seriously.

"People have to understand that it is no less a crime because the person is known to the victim."

If you are suffering from domestic violence contact: National Domestic Violence Helpline: 0808 2000